SNAFU
It's March 1944, and the world remains engulfed in war. The United States is locked in a fierce battle to establish air superiority over Europe. Over the past year and a half, the Eighth Air Force has conducted bombing missions primarily targeting coastal cities. However, the focus is now shifting deeper into Nazi-occupied Europe. The death toll among the Eighth Air Force continues to rise, with most bomber crews failing to complete even half of their 25-mission tour. Flak fields have become denser and more accurate, posing a grave threat to any plane that dares to fly through them. Nazi fighter pilots, growing in skill, relentlessly pursue American bombers, despite the defensive measures onboard. Unknown to the American bomber crews, a significant change has occurred in their mission objectives. Under the leadership of Jimmy Doolittle, the Eighth Air Force now employs a risky strategy. Bombers are used as bait to lure Nazi fighters into combat, allowing escort fighters to pick them off one by one. This shift means the lives of bomber crews are no longer considered sacrosanct but rather as expendable casualties in the pursuit of victory. By this time next year, the death toll of the Eighth Air Force will reach a staggering 26,000, surpassing the losses of Marines throughout the entirety of World War II. This podcast chronicles the experiences of one such bomber crew during the early months of 1944. Lieutenant Bakas, a 24-year-old pilot from Youngstown, Ohio, leads a B-17G named "Load of Bull" and commands a 10-man crew with a singular goal: survival. With daunting odds stacked against them, Lieutenant Miller, a 23-year-old co-pilot, must navigate the challenges of leadership, perseverance, and duty. Tasked with motivating a crew comprised mostly of young men fresh out of high school, Bakas and Miller grapple with the weight of their responsibilities. As they confront the harsh realities of their suicidal missions and the uncertain impact on the war effort, they must find the strength to inspire their men to keep fighting. Starting in July 2021, SNAFU, a historical fiction podcast, will begin to tell the story of a group of men, as their families never knew them.
Episodes
Hello Everyone,
My name is S. Aaron, and I am the sole creator and proprietor of Canto34 Studios. I am so excited to finally get this story out to the world, after sitting on it, writing it, and rewriting it for a little over nine years. Since I was a boy, I was obsessed with World War II, and specifically, the Air War fought over Europe. I was just 5 years old when I first watched the 1991 movie, Memphis Belle, and that began...
Chaplin Shwartz has been the 300th Bombardment Group's Base Chaplin for the last two months. He went from being a Pastor of a small Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas to being the Protestant Chaplin of a Bomber Base in East Anglia, England. This bonus episode gives you a taste of the kind of work he comes face-to-face with, in order to do his part for the war effort.
This Mini-Episode also gives you, the listener, ...
Captain Gabriel Blu from Hartford, Connecticut is a war-weary B-17 pilot with the 300th Bombardment Group. His plane "The All American" has just returned from a tough mission to Frankfurt, Germany. Captain Blu shares the struggles of the days mission, and expresses how he truly feels about the world of war that is around him.
This Mini-Episode also gives you, the listener, a taste of what you can expect from th...
The Boss and the rest of his awkward crew try to navigate the dark reality of a war they have not yet experienced and understand.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the various SNAFU Social Media Pages. Also, check out our website for more information by clicking here!
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Anxiousness and boredom begin to wage war on The Boss and his crew. With rumors of a large upcoming mission spreading throughout the base, the men decide to have a possible ‘one last night on earth”.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the various SNAFU Social Media Pages. Also, check out our website for more information by clicking ...
The morning after the "last night on earth" get-together the men all find out that the base is under a lockdown and nobody can leave, which only confirms that a big mission is on the horizon.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the various SNAFU Social Media Pages. Also, check out our website for more information by clicki...
With the Target now known, The Boss and his crew physically and mentally prepare themselves for their first and possibly, their last mission.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the various SNAFU Social Media Pages. Also, check out our website for more information by clicking here!
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The Boss and his Crew all try to adapt to the new, cold and harsh world which will soon become a battlefield.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the various SNAFU Social Media Pages. Also, check out our website for more information by clicking here!
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The men discover what true war is like as they fight their way through Nazi fortified Germany.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the various SNAFU Social Media Pages. Also, check out our website for more information by clicking here!
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snafupod<...
The flight back to base is long and agonizing. The men all process what had occurred in the hours before. Skimpy is given a big responsibility which ends up nearly breaking him.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the various SNAFU Social Media Pages. Also, check out our website for more information by clicking here!
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With new crews arriving at Thurlow, the men start to enjoy no longer being recognized as “the rookies”. Willy becomes a celebrity among the base and Tommy comes to terms with his possible fate.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the various SNAFU Social Media Pages. Also, check out our website for more information by clicking here!...
The men go out for a night on the town in Haverhill, Parnell pays a visit to Jack, The Boss makes new friends, and Skimpy crosses some things off his "becoming a man" list. However, underneath all the fun, the men are simply coping with the fact that their days are numbered.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the vario...
Jack is chosen to fly a mission by himself. He ends up cutting a deal that allows him to fly with a familiar face, however, the target for today ends up being a thing that nightmares are made of.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the various SNAFU Social Media Pages. Also, check out our website for more information by clicking he...
Rosie discovers a disturbing and troubling revelation related to The Boss and Jack. However, nobody knows it yet, but Jack and the crew of "Dropping Duces" are missing in action.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the various SNAFU Social Media Pages. Also, check out our website for more information by clicking here!
The crew of Load of Bull are ready to enjoy a beautiful warm day in England after they finish a "milk run" sortie in the morning that will have them back before Lunch. However, this easy mission, becomes a gut-wrenching nightmare for Rosie and Jack in which changes everything for them.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of ...
The Boss gets the recognition he feels he deserves after flying a mission with the 530th squadron commander. Parnell and the others try to convince Jack of how toxic The Boss is to his men. The Boss gets a harsh talking to, from his friends and later, he discovers the ramifications of his actions.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one ...
The men are sent up on a dangerous mission to bomb the U-Boat Pens in St. Nazaire, France. The mission is worse than the men thought, and not everyone from the 530th Squadron make it back to Thurlow.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the various SNAFU Social Media Pages. Also, check out our website for more information by clicking...
The Boss wrestles with his demons for the first time in over a year, Jack and his friends head to Bury St. Edmunds for a night at a wild club and run into someone familiar. Meanwhile, Tommy and Willy have the night of their lives in Haverhill and Skimpy begins to fall part.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the various SNAFU So...
The Boss and the men of Load of Bull are put through the ringer, as they are sent on a deadly mission to Frankfurt, Germany. Sadly, not every plane of the 530th Squadron make it back to base.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism by privately messaging me through one of the various SNAFU Social Media Pages. Also, check out our website for more information by clicking here!
Skimpy deals with the horrors of being blind inside the base hospital, Pally, Tommy and the others pay Mills a visit and go looking for Skimpy. The 530th Squadron is assigned a new commander, The Boss, Jack, Andy and Rosie all receive good news. The Boss and Jack discover something horrifying, and Leslie informs the men on some soul crushing news that effects every airmen.
If you are a veteran who is struggling with retu...
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